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Post by hopefalj on Apr 30, 2014 11:32:09 GMT -5
You might be correct, although I hope not for anyone that wants a position with OMHA. It wouldn't be the first time an agency has done this. I wonder how many former OMHA attorneys turned ODAR ALJs exist in the universe? There are probably a few but they must really want to move back to the OMHA offices bad because they are not paying moving costs! True, but aren't there a lot of us on this board that state we would be willing to take a job at another location and fork over the moving costs of a transfer back in 6-24 months?
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Post by futuressaalj on Apr 30, 2014 11:50:16 GMT -5
There are probably a few but they must really want to move back to the OMHA offices bad because they are not paying moving costs! True, but aren't there a lot of us on this board that state we would be willing to take a job at another location and fork over the moving costs of a transfer back in 6-24 months? Agreed, but SSA and OMHA are two different entities. No such thing as taking an OMHA job and looking to transfer in 6-24 months. First, my understanding is that the OMHA ALJs are not part of the union because all are supervisory. Second, OMHA only has four offices at the present time so your transfer would be to three other locations and lastly I read on this board that they do not want you to transfer but to stay put when they hire you. I would take a job anywhere but Puerto Rico with SSA without relo pay at this point because there is a mechanism to transfer but not with OMHA for the above reasons
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Post by hopefalj on Apr 30, 2014 12:00:27 GMT -5
True, but aren't there a lot of us on this board that state we would be willing to take a job at another location and fork over the moving costs of a transfer back in 6-24 months? Agreed, but SSA and OMHA are two different entities. No such thing as taking an OMHA job and looking to transfer in 6-24 months. First, my understanding is that the OMHA ALJs are not part of the union because all are supervisory. Second, OMHA only has four offices at the present time so your transfer would be to three other locations and lastly I read on this board that they do not want you to transfer but to stay put when they hire you. I would take a job anywhere but Puerto Rico with SSA without relo pay at this point because there is a mechanism to transfer but not with OMHA for the above reasons I don't disagree, but I suspect there are current ALJs that would want to return home to Miami, LA, Denver, or DC to fill some of those spots, especially if they are former OMHA attorneys from those offices. We may be talking about a small number of current ALJs, but we're also talking about a limited number if positions, too.
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Post by aqua96 on Apr 30, 2014 12:06:53 GMT -5
Funky, I would agree with your assesment if the timing was different. Why does this option exploration come almost a month after they notified folks that they had pulled a cert? If they wanted the option of existing ALJ judges they did not have to wait for the ALJ register to be published nor did they have to request a cert from the new register. Because of the timing, the cynic in me suspects that they do not like their cert and there is not a whole lot they can do about it--they cannot ask for another cert so they resorted to going to sitting ALJs as a possible escape option. Like I said because of the new testing process and the added points given to vets, their certs must have veterans taking up almost all of the top 5-6 positions and given their inability to three strike due to limited locations they are in a pickle You might be correct, although I hope not for anyone that wants a position with OMHA. It wouldn't be the first time an agency has done this. I wonder how many former OMHA attorneys turned ODAR ALJs exist in the universe? Hopeful, I am confident that there are some (OMHA attorneys turned ODAR ALJs). And if OMHA is trying to reach them by doing this, it seems like a smart move for OMHA. These folks probably could hit the ground running if they already have the experience (Medicare law/policy is quite complex), and they must like the work and/or office locations in order to want to return. Plus, OMHA probably knows that the vast majority of people on the register want to work for ODAR, not OMHA. If OMHA gets some motivated transfers from ODAR, hopefully that will open up some more positions at ODAR, and perhaps ODAR will then need to hire more than 90 ALJs in the near future. Just speculating here, of course.
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Post by Gaidin on Apr 30, 2014 12:37:30 GMT -5
All of OMHA's ALJs are Supervisory ALJs...they each supervise a team of attorneys and legal assistants and/or paralegals. That is how the organization is currently set up. There is one Managing ALJ for each field office, but the solicitation shared above is not seeking to fill any of those (5) positions. Just an FYI - I have no idea how this all affects those that made the OMHA cert. Ah.... Thank you! That makes sense now.
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Post by Gaidin on Apr 30, 2014 12:54:11 GMT -5
Also given the wait lists in Denver and maybe DC they may assume that interest is strong enough in landing there that moving costs are not necessary. Especially, with a register full of people who would take the jobs.
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Post by funkyodar on Apr 30, 2014 13:19:36 GMT -5
I really think you guys are reading too much into this. They have openings. Sometimes they seek certs from the register to fill those, other times they hire away aljs from other agencies.
This is a brand new testing process, so why not request certs and see what you get? Why not also see what existing aljs want an omha gig even without paying relo? Interview them all and choose the best. Timing of the new solicitation causing heart burn? Why? Looks to me like they got the first batch of candidates (the certed few) first because it takes longer then did the existing alj solicitation. Once they have a handle on who and how many they have (certed plus current) for each locale they will interview and select the best fit, regardless of whether they are cert or current.
If anything, I think the relo issue is the tell. The opm alj announcement, from which they will hire if they pick up a certed candidate, clearly indicated relo would be paid. By denying relo to any existing alj they hire, they ensure fewer candidates from that source.
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Post by futuressaalj on Apr 30, 2014 13:42:07 GMT -5
Funky, I am a cynic by nature but I agree that there are different ways to hire--the timing is what troubles me. They have not checked references or scheduled any interviews despite the fact that they shot inquiries of interest, along with forms and requested the information within a matter of seven days. That deasline was three weeks ago. Then all of a sudden this inquiry comes out.
I re-read the OPM ALJ job announcement and it does not say that they are required to pay relocation, perhaps it is in some other OPM reg but I did not find it in the announcement. So I do not know what to make of the no relocation pay for sitting ALJs--perhaps they have less money than they thought they had and can only hire half of the folks they wanted to hire and they sought to get interest from SSA judges trapped in undesirable locations
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Post by funkyodar on Apr 30, 2014 14:10:25 GMT -5
Pessimism is healthy to a degree future. I still think if you knock the interview out you will land a gig.
On relo, admittedly I haven't looked at the announcement in probably a year. I thought I remembered it noting relo was authorized tho....
Did I read that somewhere else? Help out if you know. If there is no relo that could be a big deal.
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Post by hopefalj on Apr 30, 2014 14:26:14 GMT -5
It does not. I think it's just generally accepted that ODAR offers federal employees relocation expenses, but I'm not sure anyone has provided a provision that requires SSA or any other agency to do so.
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Post by moopigsdad on Apr 30, 2014 14:27:13 GMT -5
Pessimism is healthy to a degree future. I still think if you knock the interview out you will land a gig. On relo, admittedly I haven't looked at the announcement in probably a year. I thought I remembered it noting relo was authorized tho.... Did I read that somewhere else? Help out if you know. If there is no relo that could be a big deal. It's my understanding that relocation is an agency by agency decision. There is no general rule.
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Post by futuressaalj on Apr 30, 2014 14:34:23 GMT -5
Pessimism is healthy to a degree future. I still think if you knock the interview out you will land a gig. On relo, admittedly I haven't looked at the announcement in probably a year. I thought I remembered it noting relo was authorized tho.... Did I read that somewhere else? Help out if you know. If there is no relo that could be a big deal. It's my understanding that relocation is an agency by agency decision. There is no general rule. ODAR is starting to look exceptionally attractive!
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Post by moopigsdad on Apr 30, 2014 14:35:48 GMT -5
It's my understanding that relocation is an agency by agency decision. There is no general rule. ODAR is starting to look exceptionally attractive! Remember, just because relocation was offered by ODAR in the past, doesn't mean it will be offered in the future.
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wayne
Full Member
Posts: 55
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Post by wayne on Apr 30, 2014 15:01:59 GMT -5
Maybe I'm just rationalizing because I'm on the OMHA cert, but I don't see how OMHA could have already decided that it is not happy with the new candidates when they haven't even interviewed any of us yet. OMHA has the same information on us now that it had when it notified us that we were on their cert, so I see no reason to think it has become unhappy with us in the last couple of weeks.
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wayne
Full Member
Posts: 55
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Post by wayne on Apr 30, 2014 15:17:14 GMT -5
It could also mean that not enough of us new guys said they were interested in the OMHA jobs to fill all the positions they have available, especially since they are opening a new office.
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Post by futuressaalj on Apr 30, 2014 15:31:45 GMT -5
It could also mean that not enough of us new guys said they were interested in the OMHA jobs to fill all the positions they have available, especially since they are opening a new office. FWIW, I am in touch with some other OMHA candidates via PM. Not one of them has indicated that they turned down the interview. Some indicated they will likely not take the job but they all wanted to go through the interview
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Post by moopigsdad on Apr 30, 2014 15:38:57 GMT -5
I wish I could add something more future, but I was not lucky enough to have a chance at an OMHA cert email. I guess all you can do is wait until called for an OMHA interview. If not, cheer up, SSA's email certs should be out soon.
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Post by privateatty on Apr 30, 2014 17:48:22 GMT -5
So we're going to do an interview when we don't want the job in the hopes we get the job we think will be offered? And, let's not forget, we really know nothing about what we are deciding?
Am I missing something here?
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Post by futuressaalj on Apr 30, 2014 18:14:18 GMT -5
So we're going to do an interview when we don't want the job in the hopes we get the job we think will be offered? And, let's not forget, we really know nothing about what we are deciding? Am I missing something here? Some folks are on the fence with the locations of OMHA. But they want the interview experience.
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Post by hopefalj on Apr 30, 2014 19:04:50 GMT -5
I guess it's possible that OMHA monitors the board and saw similar comments in the initial thread, and based on some of the statements of taking the free trip without any intention of taking the job, they decided to look into more serious candidates before going to the certs. Very doubtful, but not impossible.
Much more likely that they, like every other hiring entity in the world, would like the opportunity to find some folks with OMHA experience and/or are known entities. I'm guessing they'll be using both sources to hire judges, and the more popular locales might get filled by current ALJs.
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